Carlos Zambrano erupts in Chicago Cubs' win over Pittsburgh Pirates

Carlos Zambrano received the official Milton Bradley seal of approval after being ejected on Wednesday and throwing a temper tantrum for the ages in the Cubs' 5-2 victory over Pittsburgh.

"That was pretty impressive," Bradley said. "It was on a Bradley level."

That it was, and soon the Cubs will find out whether Zambrano's tantrum will be grounds for suspension.

After arguing with plate umpire Mark Carlson after Nyjer Morgan stuck his left hand around Zambrano's tag to score the tying run in the seventh inning, Zambrano made contact with Carlson, putting his shoulder into the umpire.

Zambrano could be suspended for as many as 10 games for his conduct, depending on the review of the umpire's report to Major League Baseball.

"I'm a competitor and I think he was out, but that was his call," Zambrano said. "I overexaggerated after that play to throw the ball [into left-center field] and to do the other things. But hopefully MLB will review the play and we'll see what happens."

Zambrano would not discuss whether he made contact, though the Cubs insisted it was Carlson who initiated the contact.

"If you look at the film, the umpire sort of walks in a little bit," manager Lou Piniella said. "The league makes that determination, but you've got to be more careful than that."

Carlson was not available after the game. Crew chief Tim Tschida confirmed a report was being sent to MLB but declined to comment.

Even after his routine with Carlson, where he pretended to thumb the umpire out of the game after he'd been ejected, Zambrano was not finished. In fact, he was just starting.

First he launched the ball toward the warning track.

"I was kind of disappointed," Reed Johnson said. "I thought it was going to go up into the stands. The wind was blowing in today."

Zambrano then slammed his glove at the fence near the Cubs' dugout. In his piece d' resistance, Zambrano took a bat and beat on the Gatorade dispenser that had been repaired less than 24 hours earlier after Ryan Dempster punched it.

"They should be paying us for all the publicity we've given them," Dempster said. "Everyone will want one now."

Pitching coach Larry Rothschild tried to stop Zambrano, and was almost hit in the arm with the bat.

"I'm going to have a talk with [Zambrano]," Piniella said. "I know he was spirited today, but we've got to calm him down a little bit. ... Carlos, he's got to tone it down."

As for the game, Johnson's solo homer off Jesse Chavez in the eighth snapped the 2-2 tie, and Iowa call-ups Andres Blanco and Jake Fox added run-scoring doubles to put it away.

The Cubs have turned into baseball's biggest outlaws, and will likely be under the MLB microscope the rest of the season.

"I'm the only calm, cool collected one around here," Piniella said, kiddingly.

"Carlos cares," he added. "But, gosh ... you can argue a little bit ... and then just get back and pitch and finish the inning. Give yourself a chance to get the win."

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Big number

16-5

The Cubs' record against Pittsburgh since the start of the 2008 season.